How to Check My DSL Speed

Many DSL Internet providers will quote specific upload and download speeds that their service provides to their users, but you may notice that your speeds seem to differ. The speed at which your computer uploads or downloads information can vary greatly, depending on how many other users are currently accessing the Internet, and how far your computer is from the DSL Internet Service Provider. If you want to know the exact speeds of your DSL Internet connection, you can use a speed test that is available for free online.

Instructions

1. Access the link in the Resources section for the Speedtest website, which is a service that tests your DSL Internet upload and download speeds.

2. Wait for the list of testing servers to populate at the center of the web page. Find the server on the list that is marked with a rotating gold star, which will indicate that it is closest to your computer's location.

3. 

   Click on the spinning gold star next to the server's name, and then click on the "Begin Test" icon at the top of the window. Wait for the download speed test to finish running, and then locate your current download speed in the box at the left side of the web page.

4. Click on the "Upload Test" button to initiate the DSL upload speed test. Wait for the test to finish, and then locate your current upload speed in the box at the left side of the website.

5. 

   Click on the "New Server" button at the right side of the web page to start the speed test again with a different server. Compare the new results with the previous results to get your average upload and download DSL speeds.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want the most accurate speed information, you should run the test multiple times from several different servers and average the numbers, as some servers may be experiencing either heavy traffic or low traffic. If your DSL Internet speeds seem to run consistently slower than what your Internet Service Provider has quoted, you should contact them to make sure there isn't a problem with your modem or their service.

• Make sure to clear out your web browser's Internet cache, cookies and history before running the DSL speed test with the same testing server. If you run the test from the same server, you will notice a slight increase in both upload and download speeds because your browser has stored the server's information.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Internet Speed Test